Rotary engine.



P. H. BELITZ.

. -ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-24, 1916.

1,259,714. Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

PM if flezziiz IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

P. H. BELITZ.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-24.1916.

Patented Mar. 19,1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' [i BeZZ'ZZ IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

PAUL H. BELITZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY Enema.

' Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed November 24, 1916. Serial No. 133,164.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL H. BELITZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fluid pressure motors which are rotary, a cylinder being provided through which a shaft passes, said shaft having a radial piston wing against which the fluid pressure is expended to rotate the shaft.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient rotary motor or engine of the kind stated which operates by the impact and also by the expansion of'the fluid pressure, and which can be reversed.

The engine has been designed more particularly for driving locomotives, and for this purpose a series of cylinders is provided, each mounted on a drive axle or shaft for propelling the same, the cylinders being connected in such a manner that the exhaust from the first cylinder is led into the second cylinder of the series, and so on throughout the entire series, thus obtaining a multiple expansion power plant.

In order that the invention may be-better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation of one of the cylinder units;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a central section of Fig. 2 looking toward the right;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 valve;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing diagrammatically an exhaust duct;

Fig. 8 is'a plan view showing the manner is a perspective view of a reversing of applying the engine to a locomotive, and

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 8.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a cylinder which is divided, by a partition 10 into two adjacent steam chambers 11 and 11 respectively, provided with a valve chest 12 and closed at their outer ends by heads 13. A shaft 14 passes centrally through the steam chambers, the partition and the cylinder heads having alined openings to accommodate said shaft. Inside the cylinder, the shaft 14 is of enlarged diameter and carries two diametrically opposite piston wings 15 and 15 one working in the chamber 11 and the other in the chamber 11. The piston wings extend radially from the shaft and their width is such that they extend across the chambers between the partition 10 and the respective cylinder heads 13, their length being such that their outer ends are in contact with the encircling wall of the chambers. The cylinder is split longitudinally of the shaft to facilitate assembly and interior inspection, the dividing line being shown at 17 in Figs. 2 and 1.

The partition 10 has a steam duct 16 on the same side of the shaft 14 as the valve chest 12, the latter being located at the top of the cylinder 10. The partition 10" also extends into the valve chest and divides the same into two compartments, 12 and 12, respectively, one of which opens into the steam chamber 11 and the other into the steam chamber 11 Each of these chambers ward from the top thereof. The sides 20 and 21 of this wall are oblique and they converge and meet at a point. The partition walls of the respective valve chest chambers extend between the partition 10* and the cylinder heads 13, the latter having top continuations closing the ends of said chambers.

On the side 21 of the wall 19 is a hinge 22 supporting a swinging abutment 23. This abutment is pivoted intermediate its ends and its length is such that one end extends into the valve chest 12 and the other end into the cylinder 10. An abutment is provided for each one of the steam chambers 11 and 11 of the cylinder, and they extend into corresponding compartments 12 and 12 of the valve chest.

The abutment 23 is so arranged that in one position it projects into the cylinder and is tangentially in contact with the periphery of the enlarged portion of the shaft 14,, the other end of the abutment seating on the side 20 of the wall 19. In this manner the two abutments 23 extend across the respective steam chambers 11 and 11 separating the same into two sections. The hinge or pivotal support 22 allows the abutments 23 to be'swung back out of the steam chambers 11 and 11?, as shown dotted in Fig. 2, and also reversed to extend alongsidethe side 21 of the wall 19 and projecting into the steam chambers on the opposite side of the axis ofthe shaft '14 from that shown in Fig. 2.

Between thesides of the partition 10 and longitudinally spaced extensions or lugs 26 at the top, and a'long'extension 27 intermediate its ends at the bottom. The part 27 is located adjacent to the apex of the wall 19 in the path of the abutment 23 and forms a stop for the latter to prevent the 'same' from swinging beyond the dotted horizontal position shown in Fig. 2.

In the middle of the wall 19 which is in the steam chamber 12 of the valve chest 12 is a. steam passageway '23 opening through one of the heads 13 and connected to a steam- Supply pipe 29. This passageway opens at its inner end into the duct 16. The top of the aforesaid wall 19 has lateral extensions in which is an exhaust passageway 31 opening on opposite sides of the wall into the chamber 12 chamber 12 has a similar passageway 31 having connection 'with the passageway 31 by a cross duct 32 opening through the top of the valve chest as shown at The partition 10 also has two ducts 3'6 and 37 opening at one end into the duct 16, as shown at 34 and 35, respectively, and at the other end into the steam chamber 12", as shown at 38 and 39. The port openings 34and 35' are on one side of the duct 16, and on the other side .are similar ports and ducts for supplying steam to the steam chamber 11 of the cylinder 10. The port 35 is closer to the shaft 14 than the port The shaft 14 carries a cutoff valve ring 40 on its periphery slidable over the side wall of the duct 16 through which the ports 34 and 35 open, when the shaft rotates. One half of this ring is. of such width that it may lap the port 35' and the other half is much wider so that it may lap the port 34. When the last-mentioned half of the valve ring covers the port 34, the port 35 is uncovered by an arcuate slot 41 in the ring.

The valve plate 24 is so shaped that in one position it laps the port 39 and leaves the port 38 open, whereas in another position the port 38 is lapped and the port 39 is opened. *At'the sametime one of the ex- .tensions26 covers one end of the passageway -When the.

31 the other end being open. valve' plate is shifted to the right in Fig. 2, the abutment 23 is swung up into horizontal position by the valve extension 27, the port The wall '19 of the steam,

39 will be uncovered, and the entrance at the left end of the passageway 31 will be covered and thatat the right opened.

The operation of the engine, when the valve plate 24 is positioned as shown in Fig. 2, may be summarized as follows:

Live steam, or any other fluid pressure, enters passageway 28' from the supply conmotion 29 and flows into the duct 16. With the valve disk 40 in the position shown in gages the shaft, a steam tight joint being the object. The steam 'in the cylinder cham ber 11 bears on the piston wing 15 and causes the shaft to turn clockwise. .Vhen the piston wing reaches the bottom of the chamber 11, or passes the same, the valve disk 40 will have moved around so that its wide portion covers the part 34, thus shutting oii" the steam to the chamber 11. The steam in the chamber 11 now acts expansively on the piston Tingle and the latter moves around to the top of the chamber, and when the'wing passes the valve chest compartment 12' the steam enters. the exhaust passageway 31' and escapes from the chamber. The projecting end of the abutment 23 now being relieved of pressure on its right face, will twin to the horizontal dotted position shown in Fig. 2 on a very slight 1 pressure of the piston wing thereagainst as it approaches from the left, and the piston wing thus passes and clears the abutment. With the abutment horizontal, the path of the piston wing is clear, and it moves to the right for the next impulse, the valve disk 40 moving also to again control the steam admission and cut-off.

The operation in the steam chamber 11 is the same as that in the chamber '11 just described. The ,inlet 28 also supplies this chamber through ports and ducts corro-v sponding to the ones 34, 35, 36 and 37. A supply and cut-0E valve 40' similar to the valve 40 is also provided. The valves 40 and 40' are set I80 degrees apart so that steam is admitted every 180 degrees, in alternation,

to the respective steam chambers of the,

cylinder. i 4

It will be seen that during the operation described, the duct 37 hadno active function. I However, this duct is used whe'n'the engine is reversed. 1T0 do this, the valve, 24 is shiftedto closethe left end of the eX-j.

This movement of haust passageway "31. the valve,through thefp'art 27 reverses the position of the abutment 23 so that it now extends into the left side of the chamber 11. The port 39 of duct 37 is also uncovered, and the port 38 of duct 36 is closed by the valve. Steam therefore enters to the left of the chamber 11, reversing the direction of the shaft 14. Y

The valve 24- has an elongated aperture 42 in the middle which registers with the end of the passageway 28 where it opens into the duct 16 in both positions of the valve.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a simple locomotive base to which the engine is applied. Four units are employed. The frame is shown at 43, the wheels at 4A, and their axles at 13, the latter being the shafts of the engine or continuations thereof. The wheels are connected by rods 45 for united operation. It will be noted that an engine unit is placed on each shaft or axle 13. The respective cylinders are connected to form an engine of the multiple expansion type, the exhaust of the first cylinder in the series being connected to the inlet of the next cylinder and so on throughout the series. T he respective cylinders also vary in dimensions as usual in multiple expansion engines. The valve operating bars 25 are all connected to a bar 46 for simultaneous operation of the valves 24 when the engine is to be reversed.

I claim 1. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided with a radial wing working therein, one side wall of the chamber having a duct, a valve chest having separate compartments opening respectively into the chamber on opposite sides of the shaft axis, a swinging abutment extending across the chamber and having its outer end in contact with the periphery of the shaft, a fluid pressure inlet to the aforesaid duct, ducts leading from said duct into the respective valve chest compartments, exhaust ports leading from the compartments, a reversing valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the compartments, and a cut-off valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the first-mentioned duct.

2. A rotary engine comprising a cylinde having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided with a radial wing working therein, one side wall of the chamber having a duct, a valve chest having separate compartments opening respectively into the chamber on opposite sides of the shaft axis, a swinging abutment extending across the chamber and having its outer end in contact with the periphery of the shaft, a fluid pressure inlet to the aforesaid duct, ducts leading from said duct into the respective valve chest compartments, exhaust ports leading from the compartments, a reversing valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the compartments, a cut-off valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the first-mentioned duct, and an operative connection between the reversing valve and the abutment for reversing the latter.

3. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided with a radial wing working therein, one side wall of the chamber having a duct, a valve chest, a wall extending across the valve chest and dividing the same into separate compartments opening respectively into the chambers on opposite sides of the shaft axis, the sides of said wall beingoblique and con verging to a point, a swinging abutment pivoted to said wall at the apex of the converging sides thereof, the outer end of the abutment extending across the fluid pressure chamber, said abutment being free to extend into said chamber on either side of the shaftaxis, and its inner end seating against one of the sides of the wall, a fluid pressure inlet to the aforesaid duct, ducts leading from said duct into the respective valve chest compartments, exhaust ports leading from the compartments, a reversing valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the compartments, and a cut-off valve ontrolling theends of the ducts which open into the first-mentioned duct.

4:. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided with a radial wing working therein, one side wall of the chamber having a duct, a valve chest, a wall extending across the valve chest and dividing the same into separate compartments opening respectively into the chambers on op osite sides of the shaft axis, the sides of sai wall being oblique and converging to a point, a swinging abutment pivoted to said wall at the apex of the converging sides thereof,the outer end of the abutment extending across the fluid pressure chamber, said abutment being free to extend into said chamber on either side of the shaft axis, and its inner end seating against one of the sides of the wall, a fluid pressure inlet to the aforesaid duct, ducts leading from said duct into the respective valve chest compartments, exhaust ports leading from the compartments, a reversing valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the compartments, a cut-off valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the first-mentioned ducts, and an operative connection between the reversing valve and the abutment for reversing the position of the latter in the chamber.

5. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided with a radial wing working therein, one side wan or the chamber having a duct, a valve chest having separate compartments opening respectively into the chamber on opposite sides of the shaft axis, a swinging abutment extending across the chamber and having its outer end in contact with the periphery of the shaft, a fluid pressure inlet to the aforesaid duct, ducts leading'trom said duct into the respective valve chest compartments, ex-

haust port leading from the compartments,

having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided wlth a radial wlng working therein, one glde wall of the chamber having a duct, a valve chest having separate compartments opening respectively into the chamber on opposite sides of the shaft axis, a swinging abutment extending crossthe chamber andhaving its outer end in contact with the periphery of the shaft, a fluid pressure inletto the afore said duct, ducts leading from said duct into the respective valve chest compartments, exhaust port leading from the compartments,

a'reversing' valve controlling the ends of the;

ducts which open into the com 'vartments,v and a cut-off valv ring carried by the shaft, and having a widened portion to lap one of the ducts which opens, into the first-mentioned duct, and an arcuate slot to register with the other one of aid ducts.

7. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a fluid pressure chamber, a shaft passing through the chamber and provided with a radial wing working therein, one side wall of the chamber having a duct, a valve chest havlng separat compartments opening respectively into the chamber on opposite sides olf'the shaft axis, a swinging abutment extending across the chamber and having its outer end in contact with the periphery of the shaft tangentially, a stop engageable by the other end of the abutment, a fluid pres-V sure inlet to the aforesaid duct, ducts leading from said duct into the respective valve chest compartments,exhaust ports leading from the compartments, a reversing valve controlling the ends of the ducts which open into the compartments, and a cut-off valve controlling the ends or" the ducts which open into the first-mentioned duct.

In testimony whereof I a'fiix my signature.

PAUL BELITZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 02 Fatents,

' Washington, D. C. I 

